Param Bharaj

• BSc (Hons) Biomedical Genetics
• Investigating the origins for the host for the mitochondrial endosymbiont

Early research in phylogenetics (study of the evolutionary relationships between organisms) suggested there are 3 primary domains of life: Eukaryotes, Bacteria and Archaea. Eukaryotes are unique as they have membrane-bound organelles, but their origin is unresolved. However it’s widely accepted that Eukaryotic cells were created when a bacterial cell and an unknown host combined (endosymbiosis). This resulted in Eukaryotic cells containing mitochondria, the bacterial remnant.  Some think the host for the endosymbiosis was the common ancestor of Eukaryotes and Archaea (3 domains hypothesis), whilst others think Eukaryotes originate from an Archaeal host (2 domains hypothesis). This project studies the host’s nature by investigating the phylogeny of Iron-Sulphur containing proteins, which are strongly conserved across all domains. By comparing the sequences of these proteins, trees are created showing how closely related different species are. Hopefully these trees will shine light on whether the 2 or 3 domains hypothesis is more accurate.

Funding source: Newcastle University

Supervisor: Professor Martin Embley